• banner 3 banner 2 banner 1

Search for and Add PPA’s from the terminal

By Joey, Published July 11, 2010

One goal on the Ubuntu Software Centre’s roadmap is to add the ability to search for and add other users’ PPA’s. In the mean time we’ve seen other helpful tools spring up – such as the OMG! PPA! Installer that lets you install any PPA mentioned on this very site.

Bummed that there wasn’t an easy way to both search for and adds PPA’s from the comfort of the command line, David Ainley, better known online as ‘wrinkliez’, took it upon himself to created a tool to do just that.

For a ‘first foray into coding’ it’s pretty darn nifty, although certainly not the best tool to recommend to the terminal-allergic.

He’s even made a short video demoing the neat app: -

 

PPASearch Demoed

 

Install

If you think the tool would be a boon to you then installation is as follows: -

  • sudo add-apt-repository ppa:wrinkliez/ppasearch
  • sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install ppasearch

Source | UbuntuForums

Article originally appeared on omgubuntu.co.uk
Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.
  • http://twitter.com/Ryu_Kurisu Christiaan Druif

    So David Ainley makes a nifty application, he doesn’t do multiple commands in the terminal?
    Other then that, it just proves to the Linux/Ubuntu community that it’s possible to have this kind of feature in the upcoming Ubuntu Software Center =D
    Would be very nice if there is 1 application which combines the features of Update Manager, Synaptic and USC =D

  • pseudoremora

    Nice job! I’ve always wanted this type of feature for CLI.

  • anonymous

    The idea itself is nice of course, but one should not forget that you should not trust every PPA blindly. You should have a look at the author first and see if he can be trusted.

  • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

    This is very true.

  • http://el-bhm.myopenid.com/ el-bhm

    I suggest staying consistent. Trading between apt-get and aptitude is not advisable.

    Other than that. I don’t know why I would use it. No info on packages, no info on supported versions, no info on last update. Google > “app’s_name”+ppa works just fine.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah. Lot’s of regular non-geeky persons will think that Ubuntu is safe because they heard it is, and think that’s it’s completely safe from malwares.

  • Seventh Reign

    Nice little script. Great video too.

  • http://tuwxyz.openid.pl/ dev

    Nice.
    It would be nicer if You add these parameters and make Y default in y/n question
    …or even get rid off the question at all.

  • Claudio

    very useful

  • Soldier1st

    how do you use ppasearch?

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/C6S22ANL35LHAH27EX43XFQKTQ Klau3

    I have written a little script to install/add ‘more easily’ a PPA or program. All I have to do now is to write ‘install foobar’. The script checks if foobar is a PPA a or a program and forwards type specifically.

    http://pastie.org/1040682

    To ‘install’ the script copy the pastie lines to your bash.rc:
    gedit ~/.bashrc &

  • someone

    VERY COOL !
    Showing version number of package in PPAs will make it better.

  • dBase

    Ubuntu needs to get away from having to do things at terminal.

  • Soldier1st

    The terminal has it’s uses and as long as the commands are given and explained what they do like they do now i see no reason to lower the need of the terminal.

  • http://www.pcmuze.tumblr.com/ PC_Muze

    I like it. It’s nice for when Ubuntu Tweak has it’s available ppas wrong. I can just do a quick search for the right one.

  • Claudio

    i tried it and it works perfectly…..i think it should be integrated in Ubuntu Tweak…..very useful!!!!

  • Wrinkliez

    lamee

blog comments powered by Disqus